Senior Housing Fees

Families in disbelief over new retirement home fees; Walking help, night checks, eye drops among 50 services now being charged. Staring at bills and letters scattered across a small coffee table, two women anxiously wonder how they can help their mother afford to live in the modest room they're sitting in. Marlene and Janet Kawalez are one of many families with elderly parents living inFergus Placeretirement home who recently learned about changes to service fees. For the Kawalez sisters, the changes mean an increase of more than $900 every month for their 82-year-old mother Anna's care. They are already paying nearly $2,500 a month for basic rent, meals and services such as weekly housekeeping and recreation programs. "How can you do this, how can you put this much stress on seniors and the people like myself who are already stressing taking care of my parents who are both sick?" Marlene Kawalez said. The family decided to move Anna intoFergus Placetwo years ago…